


Lost Recollections

by susannahlilly



Category: Original Works, Thrones Amino
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, boathy, charlizberie, ferrari👀, jurlie, songkeeper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-12-24 16:27:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21102470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/susannahlilly/pseuds/susannahlilly
Summary: ATTENTION: The characters in this work are inspired by friends of mine and the way they are portrayed is not meant to cause any offense. If you're in this it means i like and enjoy you and you should take it as a compliment. Also note that relationships in this story do not reflect real life and it should be taken for what it is: a fictional story. No drama will ever be intentionally incorporated into this story. I thank you all for reading and hope you enjoy.-Charlie





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My Thrones Family](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+Thrones+Family).

> ATTENTION: The characters in this work are inspired by friends of mine and the way they are portrayed is not meant to cause any offense. If you're in this it means i like and enjoy you and you should take it as a compliment. Also note that relationships in this story do not reflect real life and it should be taken for what it is: a fictional story. No drama will ever be intentionally incorporated into this story. I thank you all for reading and hope you enjoy.
> 
> -Charlie

October 16th, 2010  
Leeds, England

A tall, dark haired man made his way through the usual morning foot-traffic of Leeds, a paper bag in one hand and a coffee in the other. He didn’t like to go outside, but his usual morning coffee and scone from just down the block were how he started each day. Yes, for a good espresso, even Josef would be happy to leave the flat. As he got back to his place of living, he balanced his coffee in the crook of his arm and fished in his pocket for his keys. “Blast,” he cursed under his breath, struggling for a moment but eventually pulling them out and shoving them into the lock. To his surprise, the door swung open as if it hadn’t been shut all the way in the first place. 

Now, to any normal person, this might mean one of two things. Either he had forgot to shut the door all the way, or someone had broken into his flat while he was out for coffee. But Josef Stapleton was not a normal man. To him, this event meant one thing. He was compromised. The paper bag dropped from his hands and he quickly set the coffee down on the small table in the entry way. ‘Hold the panic down, hold the panic down. You’re not going to die today.’ A small voice in his head repeated over and over. He quickly opened a small drawer on that same table and pulled out a gun, turning the safety off and gripping it tightly. Whoever was here was not going to get the first shot.

Slowly, Josef moved from the entry way to the sitting room. There was no one, and the walls were just as plain and bare as when he had left that morning. He then moved through the sitting room to enter the dining room, and he immediately lowered his gun at the sight before him. 

“Charlie? What the fuck!?” Josef demanded, walking to the table and setting the gun down, “you can’t just brake into my flat, unannounced! I thought I was going to die!”

The girl slowly turned to face him from where she was perched on his table. “Josef. Nice to see you again too. Don’t be so dramatic, anyways.” Her short brown hair framed her face, but the usual spunk in her eyes wasn’t there. Josef couldn’t tell if she looked nervous or just straight up exhausted.

He shifted on his feet a moment before sighing and pulling out a chair. As he sat down, he gave her a serious look. If something wasn’t dreadfully wrong, Charlie wouldn’t be here. Josef wanted to tell himself that she stopped by for a visit, but he wouldn’t consider himself quite that fortunate. It’d been a long time since he was anything at all to the woman.

“Charlie, are you going to tell me why you’ve broken into my flat? I’m assuming you didn’t come here to give me a heart attack?” He raised an eyebrow as he didn’t break his gaze away from her. 

Charlotte seemed uncomfortable. Under Josef’s intense watch, it was hard not to question her decision. She looked up at him, fingernail tips digging into her knees. “You still owe me a favor, do you not?” she asked him in a low and unsure tone, as if afraid that someone else would overhear them. 

Josef furrowed his brow, looking around the room before his eyes fell back to the woman. “Charlotte- fuck favors. You know I’d do anything you ask me to. God knows how many damn times you’ve taken advantage of that.” He scoffed a bit with an accusing tone. “So What is it this time then, hmmm? Don’t see you for- hmm- more than a year? And now you’ve come in to cash your favors.” He leaned back as best he could in the chair, digging his fingers into his palms. To his surprise, Charlie didn’t snap back at him. 

“I already apologized for the ways I hurt you Joe,” she mumbled, looking down with something close to shame. “I wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t still owe me a favor. And- if I wasn’t desperate.”

Josef began to regret what he’d said. He slowly dragged one hand down his face and sighed. “Right. Right.” He took his glasses off his face, using his shirt to get the smudges off that had been bothering him the last few days. 

“Well Charlotte, since you’re desperate enough to come to the likes of me for help, how can I be of service?” He put his glasses back on and looked up at her, a frown still present and his eyes showing clear disappointment. 

Charlie let out a long breath, letting her hand glide along the smooth table top. “I need to disappear Josef. Not for a while, forever. Charlotte VanWyngarden needs to die. I don’t want Barry to know where I am, I don’t want Christina to know where I am. I sure as hell don’t want Elizabeth knowing where I am. And- I don’t even want you knowing where I am. I suppose you could find me if you tried but....” she trailed off, trying to ignore the look of shock on Josef’s face.

“Charlie, what the bloody hell!? Nothing can be so bad that you have to run from your own family!” Josef chastised her as he stood up, walking around the table to stand in front of her. He took her hands and ignored the way she flinched, shaking his head. “Whatever is happening Charlie, you don’t have to run. You have friends. You have favors from other people, I’m sure this- this- lying to the people who raised you- who care about you- your own fa-“

“Christina and Barry are not my family!” Charlie suddenly snapped and pulled her hands away. She took a long breath and then let it out. She was trying to stay calm; trying not to yell at Josef the way she always used to. “Josef, look... I’m not here for you to question my decisions. I’m here because I need you to do one last thing for me.” She looked up at the taller man with pleading eyes, taking his hands again. “You can make me disappear. Make sure all traces of me are erased. You can keep anyone from tracking me. I need you to make it so Charlotte never existed. Please Josef.”

He could feel his heart begin to constrict as her words sank in. Was this Charlie leaving his life for the very last time? He blinked back tears and shook his head, “Mmm no... no. You don’t have to go, Charlie. You can- you can stay here, with me. I’ll keep you safe, you know I’ll- I’ll-“

Charlie cupped Josef’s face, clearly trying not to cry herself. “Look at me Josef. Please.” She let a small smile flutter onto her lips as one tear rolled down her face. “You couldn’t protect a chicken. You can barely use a gun.” She let out a short and pained laugh before letting go of his face and letting her hands fall back into her lap. “Josef, I can’t stay here. You know I can’t....”

Josef did know that. He didn’t want to accept it, but it was true. Everything that he once been between them was long gone. “Charlie, I- don’t know if-“ his voice faltered, his emotions showing through.

Charlotte slowly slipped off the table and pulled out a one way pager, holding it out to the man. “You can do it Josef, and you will. I trust you enough to believe that wherever I end up after this, I’ll be ok. But if... if anything somehow happens... this is a one way pager. You know what to do...”

Joe stared at the pager incredulously until he finally took it in his hand, examining it closely. “So, Charlotte needs to go away forever hmm?” He sighed and ignored the few tears that were now rolling down his own cheeks to mingle with his dark beard. “It’s doable, I suppose. I um-“ he looked back up at her and tried to continue his sentence but the only thing that came was a short sort of undignified whimper. 

Charlotte felt truly sorry for him. She cared about Josef in more ways than he would ever understand. She quickly wrapped her arms around him tightly and pulled him in, feeling his body shaking. 

“It’s okay Josef. I’ll be okay. You’ll be okay. I promise.” She gently ran her fingers up and down his back, closing her eyes and letting it soak in. She didn’t get to say goodbye to the others. At least she did with Josef. After a long while, she pulled away and sighed, biting her lip. “I’ve got to go now, Josef. You’ve got my back right?”

Josef let out a long breath and looked down at the pager in his hand, letting his finger run over it. He finally looked back up at her and nodded. “I’ve got your back Charlie. Always.”

The woman nodded and then, without another word, she was gone. 

~ ~ ~

November 24th, 2010  
Leeds, England

“Where’s Charlie?”

Josef couldn’t help but notice how much more terrifying Barry looked when he was angry. He tapped his fingers on the table and pressed his lips together. “Don’t know why you think I’d have any clue to her location,” Josef finally spoke, forcing himself to look up at Barry and maintain eye contact. He wasn’t exactly lying. 

Barry’s nostrils flared as he leaned against the table, both his palms flat against the wood. “Josef, I don’t like it when people lie to me, alright? Now Charlie, could be in deep shit right now, and she’s not fond of asking for help when she needs it. So if you ever cared about her, you better start talking.”

Josef felt his fists clenching and he looked down. Of course Barry would play that card.... asshole. “Barry, look... I don’t even want to know how the fuck you found out where I live, but I’m sure you can figure out where Charlotte is too. Personally, I have no fucking idea! She dropped off the radar a month ago and I haven’t found a trace of her since...” 

“So you’ve been stalking her moves then?” Barry’s gaze intensified even more, if that was possible. He didn’t like the idea of someone watching Charlie. 

Josef slowly stood up, ignoring Barry’s question. He glanced at Christina who hadn’t said so much as ‘hello’ since they had shown up a few minutes before. She stood in the corner of the room, looking rather distracted as she turned her knife over and over in her hand. “You’re both ridiculous,” he finally scoffed, “Next time someone stops by my flat I’m going to have to fucking relocate!”

Barry snorted and stepped threateningly close. “That’s not my problem, is it? Now, since you clearly have no idea where she is, we’ll get out of your hair. However, you’re going to let us know when you find her, correct?” he asked with an intense glare. 

Joe raised an eyebrow. It would be better for him if he defused the situation. The usual calm and collected Christina seemed strangely indifferent to how angry Barry was now. “Look Barry; Christina. I’m sorry for whatever is going on with Charlie, but I haven’t seen in her over a year-“ he cut himself off and sighed shortly. “Whatever is happening, I’m sure that you’ll see her soon. Charlie is tough, and we all know she’s got the brains to stay ahead of the game.” 

Josef knew what the couple had been through. He knew Charlie meant a lot to them. He almost felt worse for them than he did for himself. Charlie hadn’t even been in his life before she left. But these two... the three of them were usually inseparable. 

Barry finally exhaled and let most of the anger roll off his back. He didn’t trust Josef, he never had. But he didn’t think the kid was capable of hurting Charlotte. “Christina, lets go. And Josef? I’m watching you.” 

Josef had to keep from snorting at that one. Barry was a con artist, not a hacker. If anyone had eyes on anyone, it was Josef on Barry. He watched the German leave the room and Christina follow after him a moment later. He had been expecting that confrontation for a while, and was more than relieved that it was over. Now all he had to do was keep Charlie off the fucking radar for the rest of their damn lives. Brilliant.

Barry trudged out the door, pulling the keys to the rental car out of his pocket. “He’s lying, he knows something. If he didn’t, he would have panicked when he found out she was missing.” He turned around to see Christina with her hands shoved into her pockets and her eyes on the ground. He sighed, silent a moment, before continuing, “I’m sure she’s fine, you know? We taught her everything she needs to know to take care of herself.” 

Barry was worried of course, but he didn’t want to see his partner like this. He reached out and took her arm, pulling her closer. “Christina...”

She sighed and just nodded, gently pulling her arm from Barry’s grasp. “We should go. Get a flight back home. We still have to plan for the next job and-“ Christina faltered as Barry took her arm again, his grip more firm this time.

“Christina, stop this. Look at me,” he waited until she finally looked up to meet his eyes. “This isn’t like it was with Ilan. She’ll come back.”

Christina’s expression instantly changed and she stiffened. “Don’t bring up Ilan!” she said with a sharp and quick tone. “Charlie is not our child and she never has been. She’s entitled to do what she wants and if that includes going MIA for an extended period of time, then fine!” She pulled her arm away from Barry for the second time and pushed past him, climbing into their rental car and closing the door.

Barry sighed, running a hand through his hair and then going to the other side. He got in and started the car, not looking at Christina as he pulled away from Josef’s flat. “Let’s just, forget it for now, okay? You’re right, like I said. She’s not a child. She’ll be fine.”

“Never was one,” Christina commented dryly, gazing out the window as they drove. 

“What’s that?” Barry asked, raising a brow. Christina was always so vague when she got like this; moody. It was hard for him to figure out what to say to her, even after all these years. How many had it been now? Ten? 

“I said,” she let out a long sigh and tapped her fingers against the window, “that Charlie was never a child. Just a confused grown up in a child’s body. What’s changed? Just that she’s in a grown up’s body now.” Christina shrugged and glanced at Barry for a moment. He seemed tense, as if warding off some memories he didn’t want to resurface. 

“I suppose you’re right,” was the only answer he could come up with. It was easier to agree with Christina. God knows how she was sometimes when they argued, and now wasn’t the time or place. But in his mind, he could see the eleven year old girl. No matter how smart she was then, nothing would change the fact that she had been a child also, through and through. Barry had been so hard on her back then, but it was all for her own good. The world was a hard place, and to survive, you had to become harder. 

Charlie was a fighter. She would be alright. And Barry had to believe that. Ilan was gone, and he was coming to terms with that now. But Charlie? He couldn’t lose her too.


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Christina are dancing to Lover by Taylor Swift because that's the song that inspired that scene.
> 
> Like always, enjoy.
> 
> -Charlie

March 5th, 2015  
Troyes, France

Justus sat on the hospital bed, his feet planted firmly on the floor. One of his legs was shaking so badly that he had to grip his knee firmly with his hand to make it stop. He looked up quickly as a doctor walked in; it was about damn time.

“Well Monsieur Delacroix, I’ve signed you off and you’re free to go. We understand this is going to be a hard adjustment for you, but you’ll have plenty of resources right at your fingertips. You should never feel ashamed to ask for help.” The doctor smiled kindly at the young man and set his clipboard down. “Take care of that head of yours.”

Justus stood up, nodding and grabbing his coat, “Yes Doctor, thank you for everything you’ve done.” He nodded his head at the older man before leaving the hospital room and making his way down the halls. He couldn’t stand the sight of this place anymore; he’d been here for weeks. He needed to go home and he needed to find answers. If he really had a wife and child, where were they? He refused to believe they had been killed. Where were there bodies? No one seemed to know. 

As Justus sat in the back of the taxi, he ran over everything he knew about himself. His name was Justus Delacroix. He remembered that much. His early life was a blur, but once it got to adulthood all his memories were gone. As far as he had been told, he didn’t have any surviving family. Six weeks ago, his home in Troyes, France had been set on fire and burned to the ground. He had been dragged out with a bullet wound to his head, but had survived. The brain damage had been less than the doctors thought it would be, but he had lost his memories and the doctors had told him not to expect them back. 

Justus also knew he had a wife and child who supposedly burned in the fire, but he wouldn’t believe that. Though there were so many things he couldn’t remember, there were so many other things that he could still feel. It made his confusion more intense, yes. But he held onto the hope he felt; hope that something of his past life remained. 

“Monsieur? Are you positive this is the right address?” The driver looked back at him, a concerned expression on his face. 

Justus was pulled from his thoughts and looked up, glancing out the window. Before him stood the burned ruins of what must have been a large and beautiful home. Yes, one more thing he knew. He had been heir to a large fortune and inherited it all upon his parents passing. But what did a man like him really have if he was alone? 

“Yes,” Justus sighed after a moment. He didn’t recognize the place, but it felt familiar enough. “This is my home. I thank you, friend.” He pulled a bill from his wallet and handed it to the driver before climbing out of the car and watching as it pulled away. When it had disappeared down the long driveway, he turned back to the house. 

The area was secluded, the nearest neighbor being at least a mile out. They must have liked their privacy, thought if he didn’t remember being that private of a person. The house itself was damaged substantially, but with enough money invested, it could be rebuilt. He approached the ruins. Slowing down as he got to the front door. He didn’t know if he could go in. A voice in the back of his head told him to just do it, so he stepped through the half destroyed stone archway and entered. He was still for a while before he began to move through the house. Almost nothing in the place was recognizable or salvageable. He was starting to loose hope in finding a clue when he stepped onto a picture frame suddenly, the glass crunching under his feet. He leaned down slowly and turned it over, his brow furrowing in slight horror. It was a man, a woman, and a small child, but all their faces had back completely destroyed beyond recognition. There was no way the fire had done that. He felt a shiver run down his spine, like the feeling of being watched. After a moment he whirled around, but was faced with something he hadn’t expected. “Wha-“ he dropped the frame and stared at the strange animal in front of him. A red panda? Was he hallucinating? Last time he checked, those guys definitely weren’t France natives. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked slowly, brow furrowing as he crouched down. The panda immediately approached, and Justus spotted the collar around its neck. Was this... his red panda? He held out his hand and the little creature immediately butted its head against his fingers, letting out some chirping noises. Justus smiled and began to pet the affectionate creature softly. 

“Well, I don’t remember your name, I’m sorry. But how about I call you Bamboo?” Without warning, the little thing jumped onto his shoulders, making itself comfortable there. Justus slowly stood up, amused, “we were definitely friends once, huh Bamboo?”

“Strange animal to keep as a pet.” 

Justus whirled around and almost stumbled over, his eyes widening at the sight of a woman a few feet away in the rubble. “Who are you?” he snapped hurriedly, “and why are you on my property?” He surveyed the woman suspiciously. Her accent gave away the fact she was German. 

The woman raised her hands in the air, “I mean no harm, Justus.” She approached him and pulled out a small card, handing it to him. “Detective Schuster, but you can call me Lea. I’m a private investigator, you could say.” 

Justus surveyed the small card with her information on it, finally shoving it into his pocket and looking back at her with a frown. “What do you need, Lea? If you’re here to question me, I don’t remember a damn thing.” Justus didn’t realize people were still snooping around. As far as he knew, they had written the whole thing off as arson. 

Lea tilted her head to the side, seeming to glance around at the destruction before looking back at Justus. “I think I can help you find your wife and daughter, Mr Delacroix.”

“What?” Justus was confused. Everyone had told him they were both dead. Was he not the only person who didn’t believe that bullshit? “I don’t understand what you’re insinua-“

“Oh I think you do, Justus. Please, cut the bullshit. You don’t truly believe they’re dead, do you?” She stepped closer, her hair blowing a little in the crisp March breeze. 

Justus let out a long breath, feeling the panda shift on his shoulders. All of this was too much, he was doing his best to avoid getting overwhelmed. “Even if they’re not dead, why do you care?” He raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention back to the mysterious woman.

She laughed shortly and gestured to the ruins around them. “Arson. A disappearing family. And an unexplained gunshot wound to the head. Convenient amnesia. It’s not that often a case this interesting comes up. No offense of course; I would never wish this upon anyone.” 

He definitely wasn’t sure about this woman, but what other leads did he have? He was grasping at straws at this point. “Fine. You want to help me, how? And what’s the price?” 

“Don’t worry about price, Justus. I’m really here to help.” She informed him,  
fishing in her coat pocket and pulling out a small notepad. 

“I lost my memory, not my whole brain,” he scoffed, glancing at Bamboo as she jumped to the ground and scurried to investigate something else. His eyes shot back to Lea. “Everything comes with a price.”

The woman was quiet a moment before beginning to jot something down. “If I ever decide I need payment, it won’t be something you can’t realistically provide to me.” She smiled and looked back up at him. “You have my card, here’s where I’m staying.” She ripped the piece of paper from her notepad and handed it to him. “Meet me there tomorrow night, we will have dinner and discuss matters further.” 

Justus took the paper and slowly folded it, watching as Lea turned and left. He was quiet a while before feeling his stomach grumbling. When was the last time he had eaten something decent? He looked back at the red panda who was scurrying towards him again. “Come on Bamboo. Let’s go find some food.”

~ ~ ~

January 18th, 2015  
Sofia, Bulgaria

Elizabeth brought her glass of alcohol to her lips, taking a long drink as she stared at the woman who was sprawled across her bed. “Marie, get up. Don’t you have trash to be taking out?” she asked her lover with a hint of annoyance.

Marie rolled over and sat up, pushing some hair from her face. “Why, do you need me to kill someone?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, tossing a button up shirt at Marie. “Put some clothes on. A guest is coming to see us.” 

Marie looked confused and grumbled, slowly sliding the shirt on over her bare skin and beginning to button it. “Just tell whoever it is to fuck off. Wait, who is it?” She slipped off the bed and walked to where the Elizabeth had left the bottle of Rakia to pour herself a glass.

Elizabeth walked to the window and gazed out, shrugging. “Not sure yet. We must be patient and wait. It will be a surprise.” She turned to Marie who was now drinking straight from the bottle and her face fell in disappointment. “Really Marie? There’s a glass right there.” She walked back to her partner and snatched the bottle, firmly setting it back down. “You’re a human, not an animal.”

“Ladies.”

Both of the woman turned towards the voice. There, in the bedroom doorway, stood a phantom from their pasts. 

“Charlie?” Marie let her head fall back and she began to laugh, “I thought you were dead. My god-“

Elizabeth shook her head surveyed the American woman. She was clearly in distress. “Marie, I told you she’d be back. You should trust me more often.” She turned her attention back to Charlie and approached her. “Five years is a long time to be gone without a trace Charlotte. I’m assuming you’re not back because you’ve been losing sleep over us?”

Charlie rolled her eyes, stepping into the room and closing the door. “Elizabeth, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t desperate. You owe me-“

“A favor, I remember Charlie,” Elizabeth smirked, taking another short drink from her glass. “I knew you’d be back for it. No one can disappear forever. I of all people know that your sins will always catch up to you. And you, miss VanWyngarden, have done some very naughty things. Things not even your precious Christina and Barry know about.” 

Charlie shifted, her expression darkening. She walked past Elizabeth, stopping beside Marie and pouring herself a glass. 

Elizabeth watched her, before adding, “They’re cute, you know. Barry and Christina. I saw them a few months back at-“

“No offensive Elizabeth, but I could give less of a fuck about Barry and Christina right now,” Charlie cut her off sharply, clearly aggravated at this point, “I’m here for the favor, not to listen to you go on and on until I shoot my brains out.”

Marie raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to Charlie. “If you wanted a favor Charlie, you could have just asked. You know how happy we are to provide you with our services.”

Charlie choked on her Rakia for a moment before setting the glass down and giving Marie a disgusted look. “Not that kind of favor, asshole.”

Elizabeth snorted as she walked back to the the two, draping her arm over Marie’s shoulder. “Charlie doesn’t fancy us anymore Marie,” she informed her lover before glancing at Charlie, “do you?”

Charlie furrowed her brow and gave her head a quick shake. “Not a chance,” she spoke with a dry tone, “but I’m sure you two keep each other plenty entertained.”

Elizabeth shrugged and then cleared her throat. “So. Down to business. Charlie needs a favor. And I owe her one. What do you want from me?” She wondered just how extreme Charlie’s favor could possibly be. 

Charlie slowly walked away from the couple, stopping at the window. She pressed her fingers to the foggy glass and slowly dragged them down, watching the lines appear. “I have a- package. I need it to be relocated. Hidden. Not even you can know where it is. Just get it somewhere safe.” She turned back to face them, “and Elizabeth? I’m fucking serious when I say NO ONE can know where the hell it goes. Nothing is as important as that.”

Elizabeth felt on edge. What the hell was this package, and should she really agree to get involved in this? Charlie was known for a lot of stupid mistakes she made back in the day. There were too many powerful people who she had crossed to count. Being close to her was essentially asking to get hurt. But Elizabeth owed her, so it’s not like she had a choice. “I’m not agreeing this until I know what the package is and the circumstances that have brought you here.” She slipped away from Marie and made her way back to Charlie, grabbing her shoulder and turning the younger woman to face her. “You tell me what’s going on or no deal.”

Charlie bit the inside of her cheek, soon tasting blood. She didn’t want to diverge any details. It would be a breech of confidence to the person she was doing this for. But with Liz, she didn’t have a choice. “A child. She’s three. Her mother was-“ Charlie cut off, silent for a moment. She blinked back tears, and as one escaped her eyes she rapidly wiped it away. “Her mother helped me get through the last five years. She was dear to me. She’s gone now, and so is her husband, but I can save the child. I promised her I would. It’s the only thing that matters to me anymore.”

Elizabeth pondered a moment. She couldn’t exactly tell if Charlie was telling the truth. The American had always been a master manipulator. “A child, hm? Not as bad as I thought. Say no more, it’s done.” She turned back to Marie and slowly walked away from Charlotte. “You know, Charlie, I had always expected more from you. It’s kind of a let down that after all these years you- haven’t accomplished much.” When she reached her partner, she leaned against her again with a smirk and turned back to Charlotte.

Charlie shrugged, “glad to be a disappointment to you Elizabeth.” She gave them both a flourished bow and then smirked. A bitter sadness was set in her eyes. “I’m counting on you. If anything goes wrong, I’ll slit your throat in your sleep. And that’s a promise. Both of you.” She glanced at Marie before walking past them both towards the door.

“Love you too Charlie,” Elizabeth called after her before rolling her eyes as the girl disappeared.

Marie raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t remembered Charlotte being so uptight. “She was joking about the slitting our throats thing, right?” 

Elizabeth was silent for a moment before shaking her head. “Doubt it.” She poured herself another glass of Rakia before turning back to Marie and giving her rear a good slap. “Who told you to put that shirt on? Take it off immediately.”

~ ~ ~

February 25th, 2015  
Tokyo, Japan

Christina walked down the hall, two bodies unconscious on the floor behind her. “Reichenstett, what’s your status?” she asked in a low tone, placing two fingers over the ear where her earpiece was tucked. When Barry didn’t respond she rolled her eyes, sliding her gun back into her handheld purse. “Remind me what the fuck is the point of these earpieces when you ignore me ninety percent of the time, Barry?”

Barry grunted, pulling his knife from the now limp body of another security guard. “Standifer, give me two god damn seconds to respond to you before you’re bitching at me about it, please?” he complained, sliding his knife back into belt. He reached into his shirt pocket to make sure the flash drive was still there and then began to hurry down the hall again, picking up one of the guards guns as he did. “Are you at the car or- oh for fucks sake!” Barry sighed as he came to a stop, raising the gun at the man who stood blocking his exit. 

“Barry! Yet again, I applaud you for your help, but you didn’t have to do my work for me.” The tall man wore a suit nearly twice as expensive as Barry’s. His smirk was as nonchalant as his posture as he twirled his gun slowly before pointing it to Barry. “I need that flash drive Von Reichenstett. Now why don’t we try not to make a scene tonight.... wouldn’t want to spoil the party for all those rich assholes downstairs.”

Barry shook his head, “It’s wonderful to see you too Fred... Now, get the fuck out of my way before I’m forced to blow your brains out?” 

Fred glanced at the ceiling for a moment, sighing. So help him God, Barry was so predictable. “You’re boring, Barry! Be more interesting! I’m tired of having such a lame nemesis. You’re- almost as boring as Christina.”

Christina frowned as she got to the car, opening the door. “What the hell is Fred doing here?” she asked, more annoyed than nervous at this point. Fred wouldn’t stay out of their business, and she was close enough to squishing him like a cockroach. “Barry do you need back up?” She got into the car, pulling the keys from her purse and starting it.

“I’ve got this Christina,” Barry’s finger went to the trigger but a moment later there was a sharp pain in the back of his head and then blackness. 

Fred snorted, “I’m sorry but that will never cease to be funny to me.” He walked towards Barry’s body and squatted down, feeling in the shirt pocket and pulling out the flash drive. He raised an eyebrow and then smirked, patting Barry’s cheek. “Sweet dreams, Reichenstett.” He stood up and raised an eyebrow at his colleague who stood there, gun in hand. “Next time shoot him. It would be funnier, don’t you think Berlin?”

Berlin just raised an eyebrow and shrugged, his shades covering his indifferent expression. He was here to get paid, and if he could avoid killing someone he would. Unnecessary blood spilling caused more problems than less in his experience. “Boss; let’s go. More guards incoming.”

“Right, get Nuf to pull the car around. I’ll take care of the guards.” Fred watched Berlin head down the hall and pull out his phone to text Nuf. He glanced down at Barry one more time and snorted before stepping over his body and following the Berlin. The guards could find Barry there and take care of him.

~

When Barry came around again, he was in the back of a moving car. He immediately sat up, his hand flying to his pocket. “Fuck!” 

“It’s about time,” Christina sighed from the front seat, keeping her eyes on the street. “You were out cold.”

Barry grimaced and placed a hand on the back of his head, grimacing at the lump there. “Next time Fred and his crew interfere I swear, I’m shooting him on sight.”

Christina shook her head as she pulled up to a hotel and stopped the car. “It’s whatever, Barry. We should have prepared more for this job anyways.” She turned around and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. “Just let it go. It doesn’t matter tonight. We can think about it in the morning, alright?”

Barry didn’t want to let it go. He wanted to go find Fred and possibly shoot his face off. But when Christina reached out and slowly slid her fingers up his arm, his thought process faltered. He closed his eyes a moment, breathing out through his nose. “Fine. We will think about it tomorrow.” 

Christina nodded and turned around again, climbing out of the car and making sure her gown was clear before closing the door. She smirked as she heard Barry practically stumble out of the back of the car to follow her. 

The elevator ride up the many stories of the fancy establishment was spent with Christina continually slapping away Barry’s hand every time he tried to touch her.

“Fuck you!” Barry snapped, reaching out his hand to grab her shoulder just to be slapped away again. “Christina-“

She raised a threatening eyebrow. “What, do you take me for the type of woman to make out with someone in an elevator? It’s offensive you think I don’t have standards, Barry.”

Barry stared at her and furrowed his brow in annoyance, pulling out the cigarette packet from his suit. “Fuck you,” he responded, giving up his advances. He lighted the cigarette before taking a long drag and letting the smoke out slowly. 

“It says no smoking,” Christina gestured to the plaque inside the elevator and before Barry could even scoff, she pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and put it out on the metal wall, tossing it to the floor.

“Christina if you push one more of my buttons I-“

She cut Barry off by grabbing his wrist as the elevator doors opened. “Our floor,” she informed him, pulling him down the hall after her.

At this point Barry didn’t resist, assuming this was all just part of whatever game Christina had planned for tonight. She loved frustrating him until he snapped. When they got to the room and she dropped his wrist, he slowly shut the door behind them and sighed. He began to loosen his tie, watching his partner closely. “You’re a pain in my ass,” he spoke, rubbing the back of his head again. His whole body hurt... he was getting too old for this job. 

Christina kicked off her heels and opened the bottle of chardonnay that had been waiting for them in ice. It was supposed to be celebratory, but who cared at this point. “I could be if you want,” she laughed softly, pouring them each two fingers of wine. She walked to the light haired German, handing him his glass and then sliding away before he could reach out to her. She pulled out her phone, connecting it to the speaker in the room and starting a song playing. She turned back to him now, tossing the phone to the bed and taking a drink of the wine. “Barry, may I have this dance?”

Barry forced himself not to smile. He was mad at her. “No,” he responded, taking a drink of the wine and frowning. He could use something stronger. Possibly Vodka.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she spoke with amusement as she wrapped her arms around Barry’s neck, pulling him flush against her. “Don’t be stupid Barry. Dance with me.”

Barry couldn’t help the smile that came to his lips now, and he placed one hand on her waist, the other still holding the glass of wine. As the music drifted through the room, they slowly swayed together, and he pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. Sometimes he took them for granted. But to Barry, every moment with Christina was the best moment of his life. 

Christina pulled back from him, taking his wine and setting it down along with her own glass. A moment later, she was back in his arms, the smile on her face wide. She took one of his hands, her other gripping his arm as they slowly began to dance again.

Barry shook his head as he watched her, waiting a moment before he twirled her away from him and then back so she was pressed against his chest again. “Stop trying to escape me,” he mumbled to her, smiling as he felt her place her head against his chest. He pressed his cheek against her hair and closed his eyes again, his thumb running softly over her knuckles. They stayed like this through most of the rest of the song, silently swaying together. Eventually, Barry spoke again. “You know, Christina...”

Christina waited a moment and when he didn’t continue, she slowly pulled back to look up at him again. “Barry, you need to remember to finish your sentences,” she whispered, the song slowly coming to a close.

Barry raised an eyebrow and moved his hand to her cheek as they stopped swaying. “I love you.” He grabbed his wine glass again, downing the rest before tossing it aside and ignoring the shattering sound. “So fucking much,” he added with confidence. Without another moment’s hesitation, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, he felt her melting into him, and their lips moved perfectly in sync. However, it didn’t go much farther as the sound of his phone ringing obnoxiously interrupted them.

Christina frowned as Barry tried to break the kiss, pulling him back. “Ignore it!” she demanded, pressing her lips back against his again.

Barry faltered, letting himself be lost into the kiss for another moment before pulling away finally. “It’s Victar, so it’s probably important. Just be patient for a damn moment, woman.” He quickly snatched the phone from inside his suit’s pocket and stepped away from Christina, “Victar, this better be good,” he sighed. He was quiet for a moment before his brow furrowed. “You-“ he stopped again, seeming to listen for a while. “Are you sure?” He finally asked. After another moment of silence, he continued, “We’ll be home as soon as possible.” He hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair, not looking at Christina.

She was quiet for a moment before finishing off her own wine and walking to set it down on the table. Unlike Barry, she wasn’t an animal. “So are you going to tell me what that was all about, or leave me in suspense?” She turned back to her partner, examining his face. He looked drained, and unlike usual, it was hard to tell what emotions he could possibly be feeling right now. It worried her deeply. “Barry I’m serious, what’s going on?” She asked with more urgency this time. 

Barry slowly took the bottle of chardonnay and tipped it back, drinking a good amount before he set it down again. He forced himself to look at Christina and their eyes locked. “She’s back,” the words came out in a forced manner.

“She?” Christina could feel her heart sinking to the bottom of her stomach. Barry couldn’t mean-?

“Charlie.”


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE TO MANY READERS BECAUSE IT FOCUSES ON THREE PEOPLE AND THE BACKSTORY OF A CERTAIN SHIP. 
> 
> or
> 
> Stop WHINGING about how chapter three is a Boathy chapter and wait your damn turn yah cunts.
> 
> Enjoy 😍
> 
> -Charlie

December 7th, 1999  
Lecava, Latvia

To say Christina had been planning this extraction for a while would be an understatement. Two years had gone into this. Two years of planning, waiting, making a move, retreating, scrapping everything and starting over. But today- today was the day. Nothing would god damn stand in her way. 

As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she repeated the plan over in her head one more time. She could see everything, happening exactly as it was supposed to. And it would, as long as there was no interference. She glanced at the clock, making note of the time before she quickly tied her short dark brown hair back and grabbed her bag. She left the hotel room as empty as she had found it, no fingerprints, no traces she had been there. Today she wasn’t Christina Standifer. Today she was Dina Ivanov. 

~ 

Things went as planned for Christina, up to a certain point. But, for breaking into a high grade security Russian facility, things were going as smoothly as could be expected. Only four casualties so far, and quite frankly, she had expected there to be more by this point. Christina was, however, deadly and silent. She had few tools she needed besides herself to get the job done. As she made her way through the ventilation shafts, she counted each guard and noted their patrol patterns. It wasn’t long before she arrived at the room she was meant to be at, and carefully began to unscrew the bolts in the vent. She could see down below that there were three guards in the room; this could be a tricky one. She could manage, she only had to be sure the package wasn’t caught in the crossfire. She removed the vent quietly and as soon as the guards had turned around, she dropped silently into the room. 

It didn’t take long for them to notice the unexpected visitor, but she was on it immediately. The first one was given a headshot, and the other two she quickly took out after a short struggle. She caught her breath and turned around, eyes falling onto what she had come for.  
In the center of the room sat a girl, no older than 11. She had dirty looking short brown hair and a pensive look in her grey eyes. She raised her eyebrow ever so slightly as if she wanted to speak to the strange new woman, but there was a tight restraint covering her mouth, clearly there to keep her from making a sound. 

“I’ve been looking for you for a long time,” Christina spoke in a surprisingly gentle voice as she undid the mask. She was no saint, but even she could see it was inhumane to gag a young child in that way.

“What do you want from me?” The girl asked, her lip curling into a frown. “I won’t go with you. They’re going to hurt me again.”

Christina hastily began to unlock the restraints that held the child down to the chair and shook her head. “You’re coming with me whether you like it or not, kid.” The girl shivered as Christina pulled her close, holding her wrist tightly. “No one is going to hurt you today.” 

Before she could say anything else, she was interrupted by the sound of a short struggle outside. She hurriedly pushed the young girl behind the chair before turning towards the door with her gun ready. A moment later, there was a small click and the door flew open. The man who stepped into the room was however not one of the Russian guards. He was wearing all black and grey and had a very distinctly blonde beard. He looked more inconvenienced than angry when he was met with the sight of Christina.

“Who the fuck-“ she grit her teeth together as she regained her composure and her finger was back on the trigger. It was too late; the man in question had already taken his shot. The bullet only grazed her arm, but it was enough of a distraction to momentarily throw the young woman out of commission. 

He didn’t waste a second, and he was fast. Before Christina realized what was happening she was pinned against the wall, her gun clattering to the floor. 

“I’m afraid,” the man spoke in a strong german accent, “that you’ve come for something that’s mine. Miss-?”

“Ivanov,” she informed him with a hiss, sliding one of her knives from her sleeve and burying it into his side. The man gasped and instantly let go. 

Christina quickly lunged to the floor, reaching for her gun, but she hadn’t driven her knife deep enough. The man got there first, kicking it across the floor before stepping on her fingers and causing her to cry out. 

“You’re fake accent is almost as bad as your fighting, Miss Ivanov.” He dug the small knife from his side with a grunt and leaned down, pressing it against her throat. “I’ll give it to you, you’ve got to be smart to be able to infiltrate this place. But to get out without dying? Well you’re not doing so well with that one.”

Christina glared up at him, “what about you, Hmm? What’s your plan on getting the fuck out of here? Every second counts and you’ve already wasted most of your precious time. Mr-?”

He chuckled softly as if amused, “it’s von Hausen. Now get up.” He took a step back and tossed the knife back to her, taking his gun again and hurrying to the child. She had been watching silently all along, not afraid, but perturbed by the situation in front of her. The man didn’t care about her state of mind. Quite frankly, he just wanted to get her and get out. “Come on kid, we’re running out of time.” He scooped the child up and practically threw her over her shoulder as if she were a bag.

Christina snatched her knife and struggled to her feet, finding her gun shortly afterwards. She picked it up and turned back to von Hausen but he was already searching along the wall for something. 

“Really, Miss Ivanov?” He asked without looking at her. “Don’t you think we should focus on getting out of here before we start shooting each other again?”

Christina paused for a moment. How was she supposed to trust someone she didn’t know at all? But he was right, they needed to get out and it just might require the both of them working together. She lowered her gun and approached him, furrowing a brow as he seemed to be searching along the walls and shelves for something. “What are you doing?” She asked sharply.

“Getting us out of here,” he informed her before finding the right button. A panel of the wall slid aside to reveal a keypad and fingerprint scanner. Without hesitation he typed in a code and then glanced at Christina, “reach into my pocket, quick. The finger is in there.”  
“The-?” She gave him a strange look but reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a thumb that had recently been cut off of a hand. She didn’t even ask, just placed it on the pad.  
After the scan, a green check mark appeared and there was a click noise before the wall slid open to reveal a passageway. 

The german adjusted his grip on the child before gesturing down the tunnel, “ladies first.” He raised a brow at Christina.

She wasn’t sure about the idea of letting him behind her, but there wasn’t time to argue so she slipped inside the tunnel with the man following and the little girl still clinging to him. 

He made sure the passage door shut behind them, and with the final click, they were plunged into darkness. “Keep going straight ahead,” he urged Christina as he quickly turned on the small light on his gun and they began to hurry along together. They both braced themselves as they went, ready to be sprung on at any moment, but no one came. 

“How did you know about this passage? And why is no one following us?” She asked in an out of breath whisper as they stopped at a corner and peered around to make sure no one was there.

He gestured for her to continue and then spoke, “it’s very confidential, most of the people in the facility don’t know about it. Now, questions later. Just keep going and save your breath.”

He was right, it would be better if they focused on the task at hand right now. Christina kept her gun tight in her grip, when finally she spotted a light at the end of the tunnel. As they approached, she noticed the light was coming from a hole. The passageway continued in darkness on the other side of the hole. She knelt down quickly and peered out. The ground below was a far drop, but not too far that it couldn’t be made without hurting herself. It seemed to lead to some kind of room full of computers but only one man was sitting at one of them. She turned around to face him with a sharp look. “What the fuck now?” She whispered, barely audible, “that’s a long ways down.”

He peeked over her shoulder before looking back at her. “Can you make it down there and take him out?” He whispered back, slowly and carefully setting the child down onto her feet but keeping a hand on her shoulder.

Christina hesitated but then nodded. If she knew one thing now, it was that she was capable of a lot. She put her gun into her holster and a moment later she had pushed herself off the edge, falling and landing on her feet with a thud but stumbling a bit at the end. She didn’t have time to waste, however. The man had easily been alarmed by her presence and was grabbing his radio to call backup. She shot him quickly and cleanly in the head, thankful for the silencer on her gun. She walked closer to the door and listened closely, but for now, no one else was coming. It wouldn’t be that way for long. She walked back to the hole and looked up at the man and child, “you coming or not?”

Von Hausen nodded down at Christina and took the little girls arms, slowly beginning to lower her. He grunted a bit as he held her tightly, trying not to let her slip. “Damn kid, you’re heavy as hell.”

Up until this point, the child had been completely compliant, understanding that she did have a choice in what was happening. But as soon as she realized what was happening she started to panic. She couldn’t see this ending good in any way. “No, no,” she gasped softly, reaching her hands up and clamping onto Barry’s wrists. “Stop. You can’t. Please stop.” 

He frowned and ignored the child’s pleas, looking past her to Christina who stood below them. “Miss Ivanov? I’m going to need you to catch her. Left my harness at home.”

Christina looked irked but nodded. They were running out of time and better options and she didn’t plan to die today. “Yes, alright,” she called up to him quietly, holding out her arms and bracing herself. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Please!” The girl squealed, struggling a bit but there was nothing she could do but plead.

Von Hausen let out a breath, becoming more nervous with every single moment. “Kid, listen to me. You have to trust me right now. You’re going to be fine, she’s going to catch you.” His voice was firm and he locked eyes with her, a stern look in his, “I need you to let go.”

The girl hesitated a moment before realizing he was right. She had to trust him right now. Even if these two were crazy, they were her only ticket to freedom- a concept she hadn’t dared to wish for in a long time. At that moment, she unclamped her hands from his wrists and closed her eyes as she felt the rush of falling and then the landing- but she was fine. She opened her eyes to peer up into the face of Christina. “Oh-“ she managed to squeak out breathlessly. 

Christina smiled a little and slowly set the girl on her feet. “That went better than I expected,” she informed the kid before looking back up at Von Hausen. “Are you coming or not?” She asked him with so urgency. 

He hesitated before shaking his head. “We should be on the west side of the facility right now. I need you to locate the west courtyard. Get her there safely and wait for me. Understood?” Before she could say anything he took a leap across the hole and began to continue down the dark passageway. 

“Are you kidding me? Just wait for you?” She called after him but he was gone. She sighed. He wouldn’t have left the girl if he was planning to abandon her. Christina once again had to blindly trust this man she hardly knew. 

A moment later noises came from outside the room and she grabbed the child’s wrist, quickly pulling her under a table and huddling there silently with the child. The sounds soon passed and she stood up again, turning the girl to look at her. “Hey, no matter what happens out there I’m not going to let them take you. If someone is shooting at us I need you to stay behind me.” Christina knew they wouldn’t shoot at her if they risked hurting this girl, but she wasn’t going to use this girl as a human shield. She wouldn’t risk hurting an innocent.  
The girl still looked grim but nodded, “they’ll never stop looking for you if you do this.” She warned Christina in a quiet but serious voice.  
Christina shook her head slowly and placed a hand on the side of the child’s face. There was too much pain for someone so young. “Listen to me, I understand the stakes. I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t. Now, stay behind me.” She stood up and took the girls hand, heading to the door. She peaked out and didn’t see anyone, so she pulled the girl out with her and began to rush down the hall. 

The siren sounding alarms seemed to be going off around the base and she could hear yelling from all around in the distance. A moment later, a group of men began to rush down an intersecting hall. She froze, her gun held tightly- ready. But none of them looked. Letting out a breath, she began to pull the girl after her again. Before long, they made it outside and she pulled the child down behind so crates. “We are waiting for five minutes and then leaving.” She informed the girl in a whisper. 

“You’re going to leave him?” The child asked with a furrowed brow. 

Christina frowned. “I don’t owe him anything... and besides, you’re the top priority here.” Without another explanation Christina peeked out over the crates. There were some men patrolling in the distance, clearly on edge and searching. She quickly sat back down and clutched her gun. “Four minutes,” she mumbled, trying to device how they would get past those men.

Five minutes came and went and Christina chewed her lip nervously. They needed to leave now. But for some reason his face continued to pop into her mind and she didn’t think she could bring herself to leave without him. She checked the guards again and frowned. If they ran for it right now they could make it out the gate. But.... no. She couldn’t leave him. Only, what if he was dead?

“Hey,” she child tugged on her sleeve and pointed into the distance where a commotion was clearly happening. A moment later an Jeep zoomed out of a garage area and seemingly straight towards them. At closer look, it was clear Von Hausen was he driver. Gunshots were following in the distance and it was clear that he was being followed. Christina grabbed the child’s wrist and began to run again, “hey over here!” She called. 

Von Hausen furrowed his brow as he quickly stopped the car and gestured to them, “GET IN!” He yelled. 

Christina didn’t waste a moment. The guards had spotted them and were now running towards them and taking some shots. She threw the door open and shoved the girl inside, but then felt a shot graze her shoulder. “Fuck!” She cried out before pulling herself inside and slamming the door. 

Von Hausen slammed his foot onto the accelerator as a few more armored cars appeared out of the garage area in pursuit. “Hold on tight kids,” he laughed manically before speeding towards the exit before they could close the gate. “They should never have placed her here. All these soldier are stupid.” He commented. A few more shots came from behind them and he ducked his head a bit as he drove. The Jeep was faster and he would be able to lose them after a while.

Christina placed a hand over her bleeding shoulder and gazed at it before she slowly began to laugh too. “We’re crazy Von Hausen.” she told him, still laughing.

The man nodded and a smile came to his lips as the Jeep sped up even faster. “It’s Barry. Call me Barry.” He glanced at her before looking back at the road.

“Barry....” she laughed again and pulled the child closer to herself as a few more gun shots went wizzing past the car. “I’m Christina.”

~ ~ ~

August 8th, 2002  
Nuremberg, Germany

“Get up, Charlie.”

The voice echoed through her ears like a dull ache. There was no blocking out his words. To Barry, there was no giving up. She curled further into herself from where she was laying on the ground and let out a slight whimper.

Barry slowly paced around her, a long stick in his hands. “I said, get up Charlie,” his voice came sterner this time. “How many times do I have to tell you? You fight or you die.”

Charlie groaned and slowly began to sit up, her body hurting in every place Barry had hit her. “I’m done,” she croaked out, her throat dry. She didn’t want to continue this today. 

Barry raised an eyebrow and then went to where Charlie had dropped her stick, picking it up and turning back to her. His steps were slow as he approached and encouragingly held out his hand for her.

Charlie hesitated a moment before taking his hand and letting him pull her to her feet. She slowly took her stick as he pressed it into her hands and sighed. “I can’t.”

Barry shook his head and took her chin, tilting it up to look him in the eyes. “You can Charlie. You’re not done until your enemy is defeated. When you reach the point of breaking, you have to keep pushing. Who asked me to train you Charlie?” 

Charlie let her eyes lock with Barry’s, no matter how uncomfortable it felt. She pressed her lips together before sighing. “I did,” she mumbled in response, “I asked you.”

Barry immediately took two steps back and readied his stick. “If you want to live the dangerous lifestyle, you have to be ready Charlie. Now, show me that you’ve learned something today. You’re capable of a lot more than you give yourself credit for.”

Charlie braced her stick and frowned, slowly beginning to match Barry as they circled each other. “And yesterday you said I was being too cocky. Make up your mind Barry.” She scowled as he came towards her and she immediately began to duck away from his blows or fend them off with her own stick. 

Barry went for her legs, frowning as she tripped over herself to get away and fell, scrambling backwards. “You need-“ he quickly blocked one of her blows as she got back to her feet and lunged at him, “to find-“ he clashed his stick against hers and then watched as she ducked his next blow, “a balance!” He swung his stick skillfully and smashed it against her side just hard enough to send her tumbling again.

She held back her tears of frustration and slowly crawled back to where she had dropped her stick, picking it up again and slowly pushing herself to her feet once more. 

Barry smiled, “that’s my girl.” He spoke and a moment later they were back at it again, sticks clashing, ducking, dodging. Every so often he would knock Charlie down and she would get back up again. “Charlie, keep your senses keen no matter how worn down you are!” He told her, swinging at her for the thousandth time that day and knocking her stick from her hands. 

Charlie frowned. Barry was right. She slid, grabbing his stick firmly and twisting it as she gave it a sharp tug. Barry lunged forwards a bit, and a smile came to her face as she unexpectedly let go. She rolled over and grabbed her own stick, swinging back sharply to give Barry a good whack in the skull.

Barry let out a sharp yell and stumbled backwards, his hand going to the side of his head she had hit. “Charlie! What did I tell you about headshots?!” He asked her sharply, clearly not happy about the results. 

She smiled and shrugged, throwing her stick to the side. “Out in the real world you don’t get to dictate where someone hits you Barry.” She turned around to leave the room. “I’m done,” she repeated. 

Barry tossed his own stick to the side and followed after the 13 year old girl. It’s not like her blow had been that powerful. “Charlie, look at me.” She didn’t turn around and he sped up his pace. “Look at me, Charlie!”

She stopped in her tracks and turned around with a furrowed brow. “What do you want Barry? Don’t you have people to be killing? Or Americans to be seducing?”

Barry stopped in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking down at her. “These training sessions aren’t to hurt you Charlie, they’re to prepare you. I don’t hit you in the head for a reason, and you should respect that rule and not do the same to me. Understand?” 

Charlie was quiet for a while before sighing and nodding her head. “Fine. I’m sorry. I don’t want to train anymore today.”

Barry nodded his head and let go of her shoulders. “Understood. But you’re down here bright and early tomorrow morning, no excuses.”

Charlie nodded, pushing some hair from her forehead. “No excuses Barry.” She knew the man was only trying to help her. After all she had been through in her childhood, defending herself was the most useful skill she could acquire. 

Barry let a short smile come to his lips and he reached out, ruffling the hair she had just brushed from her face. “Charlotte, remember, I have your back. Always. You don’t have to be afraid of being alone in the world anymore.”

Charlie sighed as wistful feeling passed through her. Was Barry her family? Did he really care about her or was he using her for her brain? She had to believe the former, because if she didn’t, she was back to square one. Slowly, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. “I’m going to have your back too someday.” She informed him, setting her mind. 

Barry laughed and softly hugged the kid back. “I know Charlie.” 

***

December 8th, 1999  
Lecava, Latvia

Barry leaned against the wall of the safe house, slowly peeling his shirt up to check the damage that Christina‘s knife had done a few hours previous. 

“Are you sure we’re safe here?” Christina asked. Glancing out the window nervously. After the high speed chase they had just gone through and the blood she had lost, she was thoroughly exhausted.

Barry nodded in response and sighed, “Yeah, it’s safe here. I promise. As safe as we are going to get.” He slowly pulled his shirt back down and grimaced.

Christina glanced at him and was about to say something when she noticed the kid aimlessly scraping her foot against the floor as she looked through some books on a small shelf in the corner. Of all the things she knew about this child, she didn’t know if she had a name.

“Hey, kid? How are you doing? Is there- something I can call you besides kid?” She gave a half smile as she gazed at the girl.

The child paused for a moment. A name? She was usually just called by a number. She had a name a long time ago but... She looked at the book in her hands. On the front there was a cartoon web with a spider on it and a pig below. Her eyes went to the title. “Charlotte.” She spoke, setting the book back down. “I’m Charlotte.”

Barry sighed from where he sat and gestured to a small cot nearby. “Alright Charlie, why don’t you get some sleep? You’re going to need a lot of energy for the next few days. They won’t be easy.”

Charlie nodded and did as she was told, climbing onto the cot and letting Christina place a blanket over her shoulders. After a while, she felt her eyes drooping and before she knew it, she was fast asleep. 

Once Christina was sure the kid was put, she made her way back to Barry with a first aid kit she had taken from the Jeep. “Let me see it.” She said softly as she knelt beside him.

He raised an eyebrow and played clueless. “See what?” He asked, crossing his arms. “I’m fine.”

“I cut you,” she informed him dryly, “now let me see it.” She reached to his arms and slowly pried his arms apart and then lifted his shirt gently. “Damn. I’m sorry,” she spoke as she grimaced at the cut.

“It’s alright. Though, it’ll leave a scar for sure,” he joked a bit and then flinched as she touched it. “Careful...” he sighed and watched as she pulled out some gauze.

“You might need stitches but I can try the medical glue for now.” She spoke, pulling out the bottle of glue. “Gotta clean it first.”

Barry watched her working carefully and was quiet for a while. “What do you want from the kid?” He suddenly asked.

Christina looked up and then looked back down. “I need her for something. And-“ she glanced back at the kid and then back to the task at hand. “She needs help. You know, if you mean any I’ll harm towards her I can’t let you take her.” She spoke quietly but with a serious tone.

Barry shook his head softly. “No, no. No I’ll harm. I want to- I can- help the kid. But... I suppose I also need her mind for something. I’m sure she’s figured out that’s why we’ve come for her.”

Christina nodded. “Hold still,” she commanded softly as she applied the glue to the now cleaned cut and then some bandages to hold it together. “We got her out together... we could take turns with her. I’ll use her for what I need, and you do the same?” She leaned back and looked at Barry. She couldn’t believe she was letting hers trust this man. But it felt- right.

He seemed pensive for a moment before nodding, “Alright Christina. We can work out the details later. For now, can you help me get her to Germany? I promise, we will all be safe there.”

Christina had always planned to take the child back to America with her, but Germany was closer and it would be easier to store the child there. “Alright Barry. I’ll help you.”

He smiled and nodded. “Good. And thank you,” he slowly pulled his shirt back down and then leaned closer to her, “now, your turn. Let me see your wounds.”

Christina hesitated, but then nodded. He was gentle, but strong. He wasn’t Jack, but she couldn’t help but wonder if there was more than just Jack out there for her. It was just a fleeting thought, but Jack wasn’t here, and Barry was.

***

February 27th, 2015  
Nuremberg, Germany

Barry stepped out of the car and walked around to Christina’s side, opening the door for her. One thing that had never changed is that Barry was always the gentleman. “Christina-“

She nodded, “yes I know. I’m not going to yell at her Barry.” She walked ahead of him to the door of the house, typing in a code on the keypad and opening the door. As she stepped inside, Victar appeared from around the corner, leaning against the door frame. 

“She’s upstairs. In her old room, I think.” Victar nodded at Barry as he stepped inside too.

Barry responded with a nod and sighed. “Thank you Vic. I’ll catch you up on everything this afternoon.”

“Got it Barry.” Without another word Victar disappeared again.

Christina seemed frozen in her spot as she gazed up the stairs, chewing on her lip. It had been so long... so many emotions flooded through. She was angry, yes. But she wanted to know why Charlie had left. And she didn’t want to be angry anymore. She wanted Charlie back. Back for good.

“Come on, dear,” Barry took her hand and pressed it to his lips, giving her a sympathetic look. “She’s waiting for us.” He began to head up the stairs with Christina in tow. Of course Barry felt things too. He had been angry for a while after Charlie disappeared, but after five years, he had come to terms with it. He had made a promise to himself that if she ever came back, he wouldn’t harbor any of that anger against her. 

When they got to her bedroom, Christina hesitated. She placed her hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it, pushing the door open. She stepped into the room and her eyes fell onto Charlotte.

She sat on the bed, her head in her hands as if plagued with a never ending exhaustion. Alerted to their presence, Charlie looked up slowly. Many emotions rushed through her as she stood up, gazing at the two people who had raised her. Her family. “Hi....” she finally managed to get out in a whisper. “It’s been a while.”

Christina took her in. She was so much the same, and yet so much different. If there had been any child left in Charlie when she left, it was all gone now, for in front of Christina stood not a girl, but a woman. By looking into her eyes, it was clear that she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. And there was so much loss. Loss that Christina could recognize so clearly. “Charlie....” she finally responded back, shaking her head as tears came into her eyes. “Charlie why- why-“ she bit down hard on her lip.

Barry slowly walked past Christina until he stood in front of Charlie. “I knew. I knew you would come back.” He spoke in a whisper, tilting the shorter woman’s chin to look up at him. “What did I always tell you Charlotte. Family doesn’t abandon each other.”

“Barry I-“

“No, I don’t care about excuses,” he cut Charlie off, his voice firm but gentle, “No matter where you go and what you do Charlie, your family is always here for you. Yes, we hurt when you left Charlie. Because we loved you. We love you. Charlie-“

Charlie felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms tightly around Barry, burying her face into his chest. It had been so long since she had felt safe in his arms- she wasn’t a kid anymore, but for just one second she could forgot that. She didn’t have anything she could say right now. A moment later. She felt another pair of arms wrap around her from the other side. 

Christina buried her face into Charlie’s hair and began to cry softly, holding on tightly. None of them said anything. They just held on. Because right now, it was just them, and the rest of the world could go fuck itself. And later they would talk- talk about what happened- why she had left. There would probably be more tears. But for now, this closeness was all the words that they needed to speak.


	4. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s late and I didn’t reread for errors and such. This is what you get. Be thankful I even wrote a chapter four lol. 
> 
> That’s all. This one is extra long. I think. It has four parts anyhow. 
> 
> Don’t fucking read this if you haven’t read the first three chapters. IM LOOKING AT YOU MANNIS.
> 
> -Char

March 6th, 2015  
Troyes, France

Justus sat in a small booth beside a window, gazing out at the rain that fell steadily from the sky. The smell of the air and the feeling of the rain soaking through his clothes just minutes before as he had walked through the streets made him feel memories that he couldn’t bring to mind. This time, however, it wasn’t just frustrating. He was sure that he could actually feel pain for something he had lost… why else would he feel such a strong clenching in his heart? 

Leaning back against his seat, he closed his eyes and felt the dull aching spreading from his chest through his whole body. He had to get the answers he needed, and Lea was his only lead. But if she couldn’t help him, where was he supposed to start? 

“Justus?”

He looked up to see Lea standing in front of his table, a folder in her hands and a raised brow as she gazed down at him. “Miss Schuster,” he gave her the best smile he could muster up and gestured for her to sit across from him.

Lea slowly slid into the booth and set the folder down, clearing her throat and focusing back on Justus. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if you would show up. But, here you are…” she eyed Justus for a moment before continuing, “You know, Justus, this might be a lot for you. And if you decide to pursue this, it won’t be easy by any means. Your life- the one you lost… it might not be what you think it is. Are you sure you want it back so badly?”

Justus looked confused for a moment and then shocked and frustrated. “You- you think I- I-” he stopped and sighed, not being able to keep from stumbling over his words. Was he always this bad at forming his thoughts out loud, or was it a side effect of his head wound? “Listen,” he started again, slower this time, “I don’t care what my life was before… it was mine, and I’m not going to run from that. And what about my wife and child? I won’t abandon them, whatever the cost. I might not remember them, but I’m sure of one thing Miss Schuster. Without my family, I have no life worth living.” As Justus finished, he let out a long breath and slowly ran a hand through his still damp dark hair.

Lea listened to his every word intently and as he finished his statement she nodded and pressed her lips together. Putting two fingers onto the folder, she slowly pushed it closer to Justus and raised an eyebrow as she gazed at him. “Well then Justus, you’ll need to take a good look at this,” she spoke, gesturing for him to open it up.

Justes eyed the folder almost suspiciously for a moment before he slowly opened it and let his eyes glide across the contents. As he began to sift through the contents, he took everything in. Pictures of his burned house as a crime scene, paperwork, brain scans that he recognized as his own, details on how he was shot and with what kind of bullet… the evidence went on and on, but almost none of this seemed useful to him. He sighed and reached up to his forehead, rubbing his temple in frustration. As he came upon a picture of himself lying on the ground, bleeding from his head and burned in multiple places, he looked back up at Lea in horror. “Look I’m sorry but- how the fuck is any of this supposed to help me? Isn’t all of this information the police have?”

Lea shook her head in response and unfolded her formerly clasped hands. “Not all of it. Tell me Mr Delacroix, are you aware that all traces of your wife have been erased? No medical records, no government records- not even a marriage license. We only have your daughter’s birth certificate and the few people who knew her in this city. Apparently she didn’t have any friends… except one person,” Lea slowly pushed aside one of the papers in the folder to reveal a picture underneath.

Justus slowly took the photograph in his hands and examined it. The woman pictured was clearly unaware she was being photographed, but she definitely looked on edge as she glanced over her shoulder in the picture and a deep frown was clear on her face. She had short brown hair and glasses and sported a maroon turtleneck and trench coat, but other than all of this, he couldn’t tell much about her. It was strange, but the woman felt familiar to him in a bad way. “Do I know her?” He asked, looking at Lea with a furrowed brow.

Lea tilted her head to the side, “Most likely. We believe she was a close friend of your wife, or at least of some acquaintance to her. We have good reason to believe that she had something to do with your family’s disappearance. We don’t have a lot of information about her but we know she goes by Charlie, and she could be dangerous. And listen, I’ve got a lot of stuff going on besides this case, so you’ll mostly be on your own.” She pulled an envelope out of her coat and slid it across the table to Justus.

“What’s this?” He took it with a frown, looking at Lea with a still suspicious gaze.

“A bus ticket to Milan and an address where you’ll find her. The bus leaves in the morning. You have until then to decide. SHe won’t be there forever so this is your only chance. You still have my number so call me when you need me…” she collected the folder and stood up, “One more thing… I’ve told you she could be dangerous. Don’t let her know you’re working with anyone or she won’t trust you. We need to use her for our advantage for now. Understood?”

Justus didn’t know how to feel about this, but he had nothing to lose. If he didn’t know who he was now, he sure as hell would soon. “Alright,” he nodded his head slowly as he also stood. “I- thank you Lea… thank you for helping me.”

Lea nodded. “It’s my job, Justus. Take care.” She looked grim but gave him a tired smile before she walked by him, brushing shoulders.

Justus blinked a few times and gazed at her as she walked away. Who really was this Lea? Why was she helping him? He sighed and shoved the envelope into his coat. He should get back to his hotel, Bamboo would be getting hungry by now. He glanced out the window to see the rain hadn’t lightened, and sighed. “What the fuck does a red panda eat?” He grumbled to himself as he pulled his coat closer and glanced at the picture of the woman he had kept for himself. Charlie… What did she know about his family, and just how dangerous was she? Justus was sure that he would get answers soon enough.

***

January 25th, 2015  
Leeds, England

Josef sat silently, surrounded by his large setup of electronics. Many of the computers were hard at work, doing tasks he had programmed them to, and some sat blinking, waiting for further instruction. Josef wasn’t paying attention to any of it. Instead, he gazed at the pager in his palm, blinking softly.

Five years. For five years he had kept her safe, and for the most part, it didn’t require much of him. Wherever Charlie was and whatever she was doing, she was good at keeping under the radar. As for her enemies, Josef kept a close eye on them. Nothing ever came up. Not until two days ago…

A twisting feeling in his stomach told him he was too late. Did Charlie get his warning? Did the message go through? Or was she dead? Would he even ever know? He was startled from his thoughts by a familiar voice.

“Joe-” Rebecca glanced at him as she trudged down the stairs into his basement with two coffees. “Are you gonna tell me what the fuck that is? You’ve been staring at it like a lost puppy for days.”

Josef quickly slid it back into his pocket and shrugged at his friend, glancing back at the computer. “It’s personal, Rebecca.” He ignored the coffee she set down next to him and began to dive back into his work.

“Personal?” She frowned as she stared at his computer and then back to him, “didn’t know you had personal business. All you do all day is sit down here in your damn basement.”

Josef was irked by the remark and swerved around in his chair. Snatching his coffee as he went. “That’s not true,” he scoffed at her, “we were in spain last month. And what about Easter? You dragged me to fucking Glasgow to have dinner with your family. I go out all the time! And it’s not like I tell you every time I do something.”

Rebecca shrugged and took a drink of her coffee, “if that’s true, why don’t you come take a walk with me? Stop staring at the damn computer. And for gods sake- leave the pager.”

Josef slowly tightened his grip on the pager, thinking for a moment before sighing and setting it down. He got up, still holding his coffee, and gave Rebecca one last annoyed look. “It’s not like I’ve never been on a walk before. I go outside all the time. At least once a day.”

She just smiled as she trudged up the stairs ahead of him, holding back a chuckle. “Come on Joe, cheer up. Just let go of all the anxiety. There’s always a knew day.” 

The sounds of their bantering voices faded from the basement as the door closed, and soon they were out of the house. It was quiet, only the blinking from the computers. Then it flashed on his screen, a message- encrypted and safe. It would be waiting for him, until he came back to find it. 

***

November 8th, 2002  
New York City, New York

“I accept the fees.” Charlie looked around anxiously, holding the phone to her ear. She could swear her body was trembling right now- but she wasn’t scared. Right? As the phone rang for the third time her heart started to race faster, causing her to grip it tighter. Then his voice came.

“Who is this?”

It was serious sounding. He hated when he got calls from unknown numbers that he wasn’t expected. “Charlie,” She answered him straightforward. She had no need to ramble. She would answer all his questions and he would understand.

“Charlie? Why are you calling me? What’s going on?” Barry took a breath on the other end of the phone, standing up from his desk and beginning to pace as he scratched the back of his neck. “Are you compromised?”

Charlie hesitated, glancing at the hotel room door again. “Not yet,” she responded slowly.

Barry frowned and lowered his voice, sensing something was definitely off. “Why are you calling me and not Christina?” Charlie was only supposed to use Christina’s cell, it was a secure line, like the cell that Barry was currently using. 

“I don’t want to do this mission Barry. They want me to do- they’re scaring me,” Charlie knew Barry always told her she can’t be afraid so much, but right now she really felt that she needed to get away before shit started going down.

Barry shook his head, suddenly confused. “They? Charlie, who is they?” His tone was urgent. Christina was allowed to take Charlie out for short periods of time, as training for Charlie and help for Christina. But there was never ever supposed to be someone else in the equation.

Charlie opened her mouth and looked around once again. She felt as if the walls were watching. She put the phone back to her face and spoke in a whisper now. “His name is Jack. He’s Australian and they’re extremely familiar. He told me Christina is-“ she once again paused and looked around, “his fiancé.”

Barry felt his heart dropping. Did he hear that right. “What? What the fuck?” He ran a hand over his face and beard, becoming more agitated. How long had Christina been lying to him? “Charlie are you safe right now?” He suddenly asked, urgency in his tone.

Charlie could feel her skin clamming up, “Barry I want to come home.” She should just answer his question, but she couldn’t think straight right now. 

“Tell me exactly where you are, do you understand? I’m going to come to New York and get you.” Barry started out of his study and towards his room. He was not going to let Christina put Charlie in this position. The kid would not have called him if it wasn’t serious.

Charlie bit down on her lip and closed her eyes, images flashing through her mind thanks to her near photographic memory. “The Plaza hotel.” She informed him in another whisper, becoming alarmed as she heard footsteps in the distance. 

Barry frowned. The Plaza was not lowkey at all, and it pissed him that Christina would bring Charlie somewhere like that. “If you can get away, come wait at airport. Stay lowkey. Make sure they don’t know you called me. And- call me again if you can. Okay?”

“I have to go right now Barry,” she spoke quickly and hung up the phone urgently, turning around as he stepped into the room. She kept her face straight and didn’t break eye contact with him as he approached.

“Who were you calling?” Jack asked, his Australian accent as strong as they come. He didn’t look angry, nor was his manner threatening, but it was clear he was suspicious of the young girl.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, still standing close to the phone. “I ordered a pizza,” She finally spoke, gazing at him with an unfaltering expression. 

Jack nodded, walking past her and flopping into a fancy loveseat nearby and turning his gaze back to her. “Mmhmm. A pizza? Why didn’t you just order room service. It’s a lot faster than a damn pizza.”

Charlie shifted a little, slowly breaking her gaze away from him and walked to the cozy looking chair across from him and sitting on one of the arms. “I wanted pizza,” she informed him in a blunt and annoyed tone, “I’m used to staying somewhere not so- high key.” 

Jack laughed shortly underneath his breath. “What’s the point of having money if you’re not going to use it? Some rich people are so stupid, I tell you.” He glanced at the clock. He wondered what excuse this little shit would come up with when the pizza didn’t arrive. 

Charlie scoffed a little and crossed her arms, shivering as a chill went down her spine. The place was surprisingly drafty for such an up-end hotel. “There’s a difference between being a conman and being snob,” she suddenly spoke, setting her teeth and shooting the Australian a cold look.

He raised his eyebrows, and then leaned forward to match her. “You need to watch yourself Charlie. You think you know me, hmm? You think you can see right through me, and oh, aren’t you so special.” He stood up, taking a few steps toward her and reaching out to put a finger on her chest, “nothing, Charlotte, is more dangerous than arrogance. You look at everyone and perceive things, and to you, those things are facts. How are you supposed to know who anyone else is when you have no god damn idea who you are?” He shook his head and slowly retracted his arm, “So you’ve pinned me as the big bad guy, hm? You need to start looking at the bigger picture. The story isn’t just in the details.”

Charlie was taken aback. She felt vulnerable and uncomfortable, and she stood up almost as soon as Jack was done talking. “I know who I am,” she countered back harshly. “The origins don’t matter.”

Jack just shrugged and shook his head again. “The origins always matter, kid. You think you got that brain out of nowhere?” When Charlie didn’t respond, he walked closer to her again, “so why don’t you tell me who you were calling when I walked in? No bullshit.”

Charlie slowly turned around from the window she had walked to, and bit down on the inside of her cheek. She opened her mouth but before she could make a sound, there was a short rapping on the door. She immediately made her way past him, bumping by him intentionally. As soon as she got to the door she peeked through the small hole, a subtle look of relief coming onto her face. “Pizza is here,” she informed Jack, opening the door and taking the pizza that was handed her. “Here,” she mumbled, pulling a wadded up $100 out of her pocket. “You can keep the change.”

Jack watched as the delivery boy hurried off with a look of surprised delight at his tip. “It’s a fucking pizza. No one tips $80 for a pizza.”

Charlie shrugged, “don’t worry Jack. It’s just $100, I don’t think you’re going to miss it much.” She set the pizza down on the loveseat and sat beside it, opening the box. 

He frowned, instantly placing a hand over his back pocket to feel his wallet was gone. “You little shit,” he approached her and as a reflex, he caught the wallet as she tossed it back at him. 

“Well you better enjoy this pizza now since you and Christina are going to die tomorrow with this ludicrous plan.” She spoke in a dry voice, taking a slice of the fresh and cheesy pizza and digging in.

Jack slowly sat down on the other side of the pizza and stared at Charlie. “You’re smart, and you clearly have some other skills Christina didn’t tell me about. But clearly, no one has taught you what respect means.” He reached into the pizza box, “that woman saved your ass from Russians. You still owe her. Don’t forget that.”

She was becoming more and more frustrated with him, but she held down her temper. Barry had been working on that with her. “I never forget that.” Charlie looked up startled as the door suddenly clicked shut. Christina stood there staring at the two of them; she clearly a lot on her mind. 

Jack raised a brow and set his piece of pizza down, getting up and walking towards her. He stopped beside her, leaning in close and speaking something to her in a low tone. Charlie didn’t make it out but Christina seemed to only feel worse after he spoke.

“Just, don’t worry about it, okay?” Christina responded quietly, placing a hand on his arm and letting it linger a moment before looking back at Charlie. “You need to go sleep. Tomorrow is going to be intense.”

Charlie swallowed as she finished her pizza. She felt angry still; angry at Christina for all these lies. Angry for not feeling safe when Christina was supposed to be her safety. She just stared at her, cold eyes. “Goodnight Christina.” As she stood up, she walked past the two of them and towards her own room, sorting out her thoughts into a simple list.

Tomorrow.  
Airport.  
Barry.  
Fuck Christina.  
And for gods sake, fuck Jack.

***

September 19th, 2010  
Bucharest, Romania

The door to the small apartment flew open, and Charlie stumbled inside. She looked around wildly, her eyes trying to adjust to the dim light, and in search for someone. Who? Her brain was too foggy to remember now. Even the ringing in her ears was loud enough to block out the sound of her own heavy breathing. 

Blood. There was blood dripping through her fingers, which clung desperately to her side. But the blood was covering her, everywhere she looked. Was it all her own? Was any of it her own? She wasn’t even sure if she was in pain. Slowly, she stumbled to the wall and leaned against it, barely able to stand. Was there something wrong with her lungs, or was it the panic that was making it so hard to breath? Hadn’t Barry and Christina taught her better than this?

“Charlie! What the fuck?”

The voice sounded muffled, but it was alarming nonetheless. Her head shot up and the gun that had been in her other hand was instantly pointed at the person in front of her. It was trembling so bad she wouldn’t have been able to pull the trigger. 

“Are you stupid?” The man asked harshly as he stepped closer and grabbed her hand, shoving it down so the gun pointed at the floor. “Charlie, look at me. Look-“ he grabbed her chin and searched her eyes with his own. “What happened? What the hell happened? This was not the plan Charlie! Everything- everything has gone to hell....”

She took shaky breaths, staring into his eyes for a moment before the shock began to wear off and things began to resurface. “Mannis... Oh my god- Mannis we- they- everything-“ she shook her head desperately and the gun slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor.

There was anger in Mannis’ eyes, but there was something else there too. Concern? “What the fuck Charlie?” It came as a whisper now as he helped her to sit down, and then began to peel her fingers away from the wound in her side. How badly was she hurt? There was a lot of blood that he hadn’t even seemed to notice right off the bat. “Is this the only place you’re bleeding?” He asked her quietly, but with urgency in his tone.

She took his arm, holding it so tightly that her fingers dug in. “I don’t know,” she whispered, the pain now burning through her as the numbness wore off. How could she not know something like that? What the fuck was wrong with her? 

“I told you. I told you so many times. You were in way over your head Charlie. You should have listened to me,” he seemed to be holding back something, his voice wavering as he talked. “This isn’t going to be okay Charlie. This whole operation is- it’s fucked!” He pulled up her shirt, examining her wound and refusing to look up into her eyes. 

Charlie was glad she didn’t have to look at him now. She didn’t want to see the anger and disappointment that she heard so clearly. “I need to get out of here. They’re looking for me Mannis. You can’t be seen here with me. You’ll be fucked too,” she talked barely above a whisper, too weak to put any effort into her words now.

“It’s not bad. You’ll be fine. We just have to stop the bleeding,” he informed her, standing up and rushing across the room. He stopped at an old chest that sat in the corner, opening the heavy lid easily and taking a first aid kit out from among the supplies that were inside. “I shouldn’t have ever agreed to work with you, you know that? I’m completely compromised now because of you.”

Charlie nodded slowly as he knelt back down beside her and grimaced as he began to clean the wound. “Mannis, you’re not comprised. They don’t know who you are- just that you exist-“

“I’m compromised Charlie,” he shot at her with a hard look, turning his attention back to the wound immediately afterwards. “Look, I can get you out of the country- but you’re on your own from then. I can’t be there for you anymore.” 

Charlie couldn’t be sure, but she swore she could see tears inside Mannis’ eyes as she strained to look closer. “You don’t have to help me. I’m the one who fucked this up.” Charlie wouldn’t blame him if he up and left right this second. Hell, he would be better off if he did. 

But that wasn’t Mannis. He was fierce, and brave; and he was loyal. 

“No. Just stop Charlie,” he breathed out, not sure that his voice wouldn’t break if he spoke louder. “You have to promise me you’re going to stay away. Promise me you’re going to go somewhere safe.”

She flinched again as he began to put pressure on the wound to try and stop the bleeding. “What about you Mannis? What about this mess?” It wasn’t fair of her to leave him to deal with everything after this.

“This is my job Charlie, okay? I did it fine before you came and I can do it fine when you’re gone. Understood?” He finally looked back up to meet her eyes. They were firm, and more serious than she had ever seen them before. They wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“I understand,” she finally spoke, feeling weak and vulnerable. She hated this. She hated everything about it. It felt like the past few years of her life had been constant mistakes. Barry and Christina were hardly on speaking terms with her. Elizabeth and Marie? She hadn’t been in contact with them for ages. And Josef? He would be better off without seeing her face again. So how in the hell was she supposed to just walk away from the only friend she had left? Or were they even friends at all? Maybe she was supposed to be a loner. Or maybe this fucking life was just too much for her. “Mannis?”

He furrowed his brow, slowly pulling his hand away from her side to see the wound was barely bleeding now. “What?” He responded, less anger in his tone now than their had been minutes before.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, a dull aching settling in her gut as the realization of everything took a hold.

Mannis was quiet for a while, cleaning the wounded area before beginning to bandage. “You tried, Charlie. You fucked up- but you tried. I’ll-“ he hesitated, frowning, and then deciding not to finish his sentence. 

Charlie closed her eyes, seeming to understand. “I’ll miss you too, Mannis.” She wasn’t gone yet, but everything already felt over. 

There was only one thing left in the world that remained for her now. Maybe this was just her wake up call.


End file.
